Interviews · 5 min read
How do I answer 'Tell me about yourself' in an interview?
Give a 60 to 90 second answer in three parts: what you do now, one or two results that match the role, and why this job is the next step.
The short answer
Answer in 60 to 90 seconds with three parts. Start with what you do now in one sentence. Then give one or two results from your experience that match the role's main must-haves. Finish with why this job is the logical next step for you. Leave out your life story, hobbies and anything the interviewer can read on your CV word for word. Practise it out loud until it sounds like you talking rather than reciting.
On this page 4 sections
Present, proof, next
- Present: 'I'm an operations coordinator at a 200-person logistics firm.'
- Proof: 'Last year I rebuilt our delivery schedule, which cut missed slots by about a third, and I ran the switch to a new warehouse system.'
- Next: 'I'm looking for a role where planning is the whole job, which is why this analyst post stood out.'
Choose the proof from the post
Read the post's must-haves and pick the one or two results that show the most important ones. The same person tells a different middle part to a startup and to a bank.
Mistakes that cost the first minute
- Starting with 'Well, I was born in…'.
- Reading your CV aloud in order.
- Ending on what you want from them, like salary or remote work.
- Running past two minutes.
OffLadder CV, our free Chrome extension, hands any job post to Laddie for a five-question mock interview for that role, weighted to the parts you're least sure of. You answer in your own words.
Questions people ask
- How long should 'Tell me about yourself' be?
- About a minute, two at most. Long enough for one or two examples, short enough that the interviewer can pick up a thread and ask more.
- Should I start with where I grew up or studied?
- Only if it explains why you're here, for example a degree that leads straight into this role. Otherwise start with your current work.
- What if I'm changing careers?
- Use the middle part to bridge: name the work you've done that is closest to this role, then say what made you move towards it.
- Is it the same as 'Walk me through your CV'?
- Close. 'Walk me through your CV' wants a little more order, oldest to newest or the reverse. Keep it to the roles that matter for this job.
- Should I memorise it?
- Memorise the three points, not the words. A word-perfect script sounds rehearsed and falls apart if you're interrupted.
Exercises are practice, not evidence of career fit or a qualification. How to read our guides and report a correction.
How this page is written
Sources support the factual background, not a guarantee that an exercise predicts career fit. Fictional practice material is labelled. Dates record content updates; no independent expert review is implied. More about OffLadder.